Restoration
by The Bard2
Summary: Dawn gave her life at the end of season 5... The Powers decide that the world needs her
1. An Unholy Desire

Title - Buffy, The Vampire Slayer - Restoration : An Unholy Desire  
  
Author - Shane A. Hopkins (thesorcererbard@I-am-the-key.com)  
  
Rating - R - implied sex scene and underage girl kissing.  
  
Pairing - Spike and Dawn  
  
Disclaimer - What I don't own. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and everything related to them. What I do own. Everything not owned by the above mentioned people / companies is owned by me but you may use any of it as long as you give me credit.  
  
Authors Note - This story is written along the lines of Lady Myst's 'A New Dawn' story (join lildarkfic · Dawn darkfic at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lildarkfic/ and look through the message archive for it). Dawn sacrificed herself in the episode 'The Gift' rather than let Buffy die.  
  
Special thanks go to - Force Master (forcemaster@stories.com) and Misty (misty@I-am-the- key.com) for their help with some of the smaller details.  
  
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Restoration : An Unholy Desire.  
  
The night was dark, darker than usual, and in Restfield cemetery Buffy Summers was hunting. Buffy is the vampire slayer and she was doing her job, her job was the only thing keeping her sane at the moment. Two months ago her sister, Dawn, had sacrificed herself to save Buffy, her friends, Sunnydale and the world from the hell god Glory. Dawn wasn't really her sister, a group of monks had turned a ball of radiant green energy, called The Key, into Dawn and sent her to Buffy to protect. She had failed, Dawn was dead and buried, not more than half a mile from where Buffy currently stood.  
  
Suddenly Buffy saw her prey and ran towards it.  
  
The vamp saw her coming and ran swiftly into the opposite direction.  
  
Buffy had hunted this vamp for several miles so far this night and she wasn't going to let him get away.  
  
Less than half a mile later Buffy caught the vamp, spinning him around and thrusting the stake through his heart, the dust that used to be the vampire drifted onto the grave where Buffy had slain him. She read the headstone, and broke down in tears.  
  
The headstone read.  
  
Dawn Summers 1987-2001 Beloved Sister She gave her life for the world.  
  
As Buffy lay there weeping lightning cracked the heavens and a single drop of moisture fell from the sky and landed on the vampire dust that covered Dawn's grave. As Buffy cried one of her tears ran down her cheek and landed on top of the raindrop.  
  
Lightning crackled out of the sky striking Dawn's grave and throwing Buffy back several meters. When Buffy looked up she saw a familiar figure standing atop Dawn's grave.  
  
"D-Dawn?" Buffy asked shakily.  
  
"Not quiet." the voice was Dawn's but it was not the young voice she had had when she had died, it had something darker running through it, something evil.  
  
"H-how d-did you.?" Buffy couldn't finish the sentence.  
  
"You tell me, I was dead." Dawn replied as she moved towards her sister.  
  
"W-we have to go see Giles, he'll know what's happened." Buffy said standing and looking at her sister's face.  
  
"Fine, what ever." Dawn sounded uninterested.  
  
Half an hour later Buffy had gathered the entire gang at The Magic Box and Giles was trying to explain what had happened.  
  
"I-I just don't know, maybe it was a gift from the Powers That Be, maybe you accidentally performed a resurrection spell." Giles said as he sat down.  
  
"How do you feel, Dawn?" Willow asked.  
  
"Just peachy." Dawn said the utter boredom in her voice was almost tangible.  
  
"Are you sure Dawn? You sound a lot different. " Buffy said.  
  
"I'm fine!" Dawn yelled. As she did so her eye's glowed bright green.  
  
The entire group saw it and moved back in shock.  
  
"What the hell was that?" Xander said.  
  
"I am no longer just the human covering for the key." Dawn said as she stood, "I am The Key."  
  
"What do you mean?" Buffy demanded.  
  
"Before . before I died I was just Dawn Summers, The Key made into a human, but now," Dawn said taking a step back from the table, "Now I am The Key!"  
  
Dawn suddenly rose up off the ground and her eyes turned bright green.  
  
"What do you mean 'you're The Key'?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I mean I remember being glowing green energy." Dawn answered angrily as she floated back down to the floor, "I remember being in existence for millions of years."  
  
"Dawn, why are you so angry?" Anya asked.  
  
"Oh for fuck sake, you are stupid aren't you, bitch, I've had it with the lot of you!" with that Dawn faded out of existence.  
  
"Dawn, wait!" Buffy cried but she was too late.  
  
"What just happened?" Xander asked.  
  
"Dawn appears to have the power of teleportation." Giles said a bit incredulously.  
  
"Lil-bit, you were the light in this sodding town." Spike said gazing lovingly at a photo of the slayer's little sister. Spike had thought he was in love with Buffy at one point but after she had sacrificed herself he had come to realise that he loved Dawn more than life itself, or in his case, undeath itself.  
  
"Hello Spike." came Dawn's voice from behind him.  
  
In surprise Spike dropped the frame that held the photo and spun around, the photo frame smashed when it hit the ground.  
  
"Lil-bit? Is that you?" he asked.  
  
"Yes Spike it is me." Dawn was floating a foot and a half off the ground and here eye's were still glowing green.  
  
"Bloody hell, what happened to you?" Spike exclaimed.  
  
"I was resurrected." Dawn answered as she floated to the floor of the crypt in which they were standing,  
  
"Yea I can see that, how?" Spike said stepping up to Dawn.  
  
"The Powers That Be used Buffy's sorrow and their own power to bring me back but they neglected to make sure that I was the same as I was before I died." Dawn replied.  
  
"Same as you were before you died? What do you mean?" Spike said looking her over from head to toe.  
  
"I mean that I can remember being the key, before the monks made me into Dawn Summers." Dawn snapped at him.  
  
"All right luv, calm down." Spike said as he took her shoulders.  
  
"I-I'm sorry Spike, I just feel so frustrated." she told him. For the first time since her resurrection she looked lost and almost frightened, this was slightly by the fact that her eye's were still green and glowing.  
  
"Hey, it's gonna be ok." Spike said as he took her into his arms.  
  
"Spike, you love me don't you?" Dawn asked, her voice was slightly muffled because her face was against his chest.  
  
"Yes, yes I really do." Spike answered.  
  
Dawn looked up and into his eye's and as he looked back the green glow faded from them leaving them their natural spectrum blue color. Spike could see the love in her eye's, he knew that that love was for him.  
  
Spike bent down and kissed her passionately on the lips. Dawn returned the kiss.  
  
They became so wrapped up in each other that they fell over Dawn landing atop Spike. She moved her legs so she was straddling his waist.  
  
"God, you are beautiful, Lil-bit." Spike said as he pulled her down till their lips met.  
  
Dawn knew that he was pleased to be there with her and she knew she felt the same.  
  
"Spike." she breathed.  
  
"Yea?" he answered.  
  
"Make love to me." she whispered in his ear.  
  
To be continued. 


	2. An Unholy Love

Title - Buffy, The Vampire Slayer - Restoration : An Unholy Love  
  
Author - Shane A. Hopkins (thesorcererbard@I-am-the-key.com)  
  
Rating - R - underage girl kissing  
  
Pairing - Spike and Dawn  
  
Disclaimer - What I don't own. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and everything related to them. What I do own. Everything not owned by the above mentioned people / companies is owned by me but you may use any of it as long as you give me credit.  
  
Authors Note - This story is written along the lines of Lady Myst's 'A New Dawn' story. Dawn sacrificed herself rather than let Buffy die.  
  
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Restoration : An Unholy Love.  
  
"Where is she?" Buffy cried, she was deeply worried about Dawn. The gang had gone out looking for her but because of her method of exit they had no idea where to start looking.  
  
"I don't know but I hope she's alright." Tara said.  
  
"She will be, the Summers women are tough, aren't they Buff?" Willow said as she walked between the other two women.  
  
"Yea, we're as tough as a wet noodle." Buffy said with a very slight smile.  
  
"That's the spirit," Willow said smiling, "Hey has anyone thought of seeing if Spike has heard anything?"  
  
"No, I haven't seen Spike since the final battle with Glory." Buffy said looking a little uneasy, "I couldn't bear it, he loved her so much, maybe more than I did."  
  
"And Dawn knows it, she'll go there at some point." Willow told her.  
  
"Well, um, Spike's crypt is just over there." Tara pointed off to their left.  
  
"Ok, lets go." Buffy said heading over towards it.  
  
As they got closer they could see a light on inside. Buffy walked up to the door, pounded it open and walked in. Just inside the door she stopped in complete and utter shock.  
  
"Oh my.." began Willow.  
  
".God." finished Tara.  
  
On the floor in the middle of the crypt were Spike and Dawn under a blanket, Dawn was fast and peacefully asleep and Spike was gently caressing her hair.  
  
"S-S-Spike? What's going on?" Buffy demanded.  
  
"Chill out Buff." Dawn said before opening her eyes.  
  
"Dawn, are you naked under there?" Buffy asked incredulously.  
  
"So what if I am?" Dawn retorted.  
  
"You're only 14, you're too young." Buffy said still slightly in shock.  
  
"Calm down, Slayer." Spike interrupted, "We kissed that's all." He threw back the blanket to reveal that both of them were fully clothed..  
  
"I wanted to go further by Spike said that I was too young." Dawn said disappointedly.  
  
"Yea then she began to feel tired." Spike said as he stood up.  
  
"Y-you w-wanted to go further?" Buffy stammered, "I can't hear this , I just can't." she turned round and ran out side.  
  
Spike followed her and was met with a fist to the nose.  
  
"How could you?" Buffy cried.  
  
"Hey, I love her, I LOVE her." Spike told her holding his nose.  
  
"I'm taking her home and, by god, if you go near her again I will stake you so fast you won't know what hit you." Buffy said as she walked back into the crypt.  
  
"Buffy, no!" cried Dawn as Buffy grabbed her and began to haul her out of the crypt, "I want to stay with Spike!"  
  
"No, you will not, I've told you before that you can not have a crush on a vampire." Buffy said.  
  
"I LOVE HIM!" Dawn's voice took on a tone that was almost inhuman and her eye's glowed bright green.  
  
In amazement Buffy let go of Dawn's arm and took a step backwards. Spike looked at Dawn with what could only be called pure love.  
  
Dawn walked to stand beside Spike who promptly put his arm around her. With that contact her eye's returned to their normal color.  
  
"Why do your eye's do that when I touch you?" Spike asked.  
  
"What are you talking about Spike?" asked Buffy.  
  
"Well, when she came here earlier, her eye's were glowing green but when I hugged her they went back to their beautiful blue color." Spike said, "And just now when I put my arm around her they returned to normal again."  
  
"Love." Dawn simply answered.  
  
"Love? What do you mean Lil-bit?" Spike asked.  
  
"Your love for me is pure and unencumbered by you vampirism." Dawn answered  
  
looking into his eyes.  
  
"How can that affect you?" Buffy asked, she was beginning to get used to this new version of her sister.  
  
"When I died, I died for love, love of you, love of this town and love of this world." Dawn answered as she turned to look at Buffy, "And when the Powers brought me back it was through love, your love for me."  
  
Being close to Spike was having a great calming effect on Dawn her voice was almost back to the way it had been a couple of months earlier.  
  
"Ok so Spike loves you . now, he loved me at one time remember?" Buffy retorted.  
  
"Yea, I remember but even under that love he loved me, he just didn't know it." Dawn said stepping away from Spike.  
  
"Ok well I can see that maybe Spike does love you , he certainly has a calming effect on you." Buffy paused, "Right, Spike, here are the rules. One Dawn is still 14 and you must treat her that way. Two you will not hurt her in any way shape or form. Three you will check with me before taking her out anywhere, have you got all that?"  
  
"Yea, I got it." Spike said. Little did Buffy know but he had already set those same rules down for himself.  
  
"Buffy?" Dawn said.  
  
"Yea?" Buffy answered.  
  
"Can Spike come and live with us?" Dawn asked.  
  
"Why should he?" Buffy answered a little snappily.  
  
"Because if I have another episode and need calming he will be on hand." Dawn answered in an almost identical tone.  
  
Buffy stopped and thought about this for a minute, it was obvious she didn't like the idea but Dawn was right and he might come in handy.  
  
"Alright, but he has to agree to live by my rules when he's under my roof." Buffy said looking at Spike, "Do you understand?"  
  
"Yea, I understand perfectly." Spike answered.  
  
To be continued. 


	3. An Unholy Betrayal

Title - Buffy, The Vampire Slayer - Restoration : An Unholy Betrayal  
  
Author - Shane A. Hopkins (thesorcererbard@I-am-the-key.com)  
  
Rating - R - underage girl kissing  
  
Pairing - Spike and Dawn  
  
Disclaimer - What I don't own. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and everything related to them. What I do own. Everything not owned by the above mentioned people / companies is owned by me but you may use any of it as long as you give me credit.  
  
Authors Note - This story is written along the lines of Lady Myst's 'A New Dawn' story. Dawn sacrificed herself in the episode 'The Gift' rather than let Buffy die.  
  
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Restoration : An Unholy Betrayal.  
  
"Spike, I've set up a bed and some other things for you in the basement." Buffy said as she walked into the kitchen of the Summers house.  
  
To Buffy it felt a bit like a dorm because also living under the roof, aside from Spike, Dawn and herself, were Willow and Tara. The two witches had decided to move in to help out Buffy in the running of the house.  
  
"Fine." Spike replied from where he was standing.  
  
The microwave beeped to let all who could hear it, that whatever it was heating was ready. Spike walked over to it and after opening it pulled out two steaming mugs. Buffy had a pretty good idea what was in one but had no idea what was in the other.  
  
"While you are in this house you will make sure that your blood does not contaminate any of the other food in the refrigerator." Buffy said looking at him with more than a little disgust.  
  
"Fine, just make sure you've got a ready supply of Wheat-a-Bix and we'll all be fine." Spike told her as he walked out of the kitchen heading towards the living room where Dawn was lounging on the couch.  
  
Spike sat down next to her and she promptly leaned her head on his shoulder. Spike handed one of the mugs to her and she sipped at it. Buffy could now see that it contained coffee.  
  
"Dawn should you be drinking coffee?" Buffy asked as she sat down on one of the chairs near the couch.  
  
"I like the taste." she answered.  
  
"Dinners up!" called Willow from the dining room.  
  
"Be there in a sec, Will." Buffy called back, "Dawn, Spike coming?"  
  
"Yea, sure." Dawn answered as she stood up and walked towards the dining room.  
  
Spike got up and followed Dawn closely, a bit too closely for Buffy's liking.  
  
Shaking her head Buffy followed them out of the living room.  
  
"Pass the potatoes please." asked Tara.  
  
Willow picked up the bowl with the mashed potatoes in and handed it to her girlfriend with a smile.  
  
Buffy sat at the head of the table and watched the people who she was beginning to think of as her family, even Spike, she shook her head again.  
  
"What's wrong Buff?" asked Willow.  
  
"Oh, nothing just thinking that we live in a really screwed up world." Buffy answered with a smile.  
  
"Yea I know what you mean, only a week ago this house would have been as quiet as a graveyard minus the vamps." Willow replied with a smile that matched Buffy's own.  
  
Tara and Dawn both laughed quietly at the small exchange between the friends. Spike also laughed but was not polite enough to keep it quiet.  
  
Dawn sighed slightly, she really loved his laugh, that and his handsome looks were his two best features as far as she was concerned.  
  
Spike turned to look at her and smiled. Dawn smiled back.  
  
Spike's smile suddenly turned to a frown and he asked, "Lil-bit are you ok?"  
  
"I . no I'm not, I feel." and that was as far as she got.  
  
Dawn collapsed into Spike's arms and he lowered her to the ground, "It's alright luv, it's gonna be alright." he murmured as he rocked her in his arms.  
  
**R minus 3 days 6 hours 45 minutes **  
  
Buffy stood and ran round the table to them, "Is she ok?"  
  
"Yea, I think she'll be ok, it must have been a tiring day for her, I think she just needs rest." Spike answered as he scooped Dawn into his arms and carried her up the stairs and into her bedroom. He laid her on her bed and pulled a blanket up over her.  
  
"Mmm, Spike?" Dawn murmured.  
  
"Yea, Lil-bit?" he answered.  
  
"Stay with me?" she asked.  
  
"Buffy won't like it." he warned.  
  
"I don't care, just stay with me." she said rolling on her side and looking him straight in his eye's  
  
"Ok, Lil-bit." with that Spike laid down next to her and took her into his arms.  
  
"What's Spike doing up there?" Buffy asked. She was sitting in a chair in the living room, looking at Willow and Tara curled up together on the couch.  
  
"He's probably just keeping an eye on Dawn." Willow answered.  
  
"That's what I'm worried about." Buffy said with a frown.  
  
"Why? He won't hurt her." Tara said.  
  
"I know it's just that I don't like Dawn having romantic feelings towards Spike." Buffy told the two witches.  
  
"But what can you do about it?" Willow asked.  
  
"She can't do anything." Spike said coming into the living room.  
  
"I still don't like it." Buffy said shooting a dirty look at the bleached blonde vampire as he sat in the remaining chair.  
  
"Like it or not, Dawn wants me here." Spike said.  
  
Less than two hours later the entire gang were tucked up in bed. Spike was down in the basement tossing and turning, he was having something that he hadn't had since he had been human. A nightmare.  
  
"Spike?" a voice broke through the images of his nightmare.  
  
"Lil-bit?" Spike said still slightly sleepy.  
  
"Yea, get up and come with me." her voice was almost demanding.  
  
"Were we goin'?" Spike asked as he sat up on the bed Buffy had given him.  
  
"Somewhere special." Dawn's voice took on a sultry tone.  
  
"We shouldn't, Buffy won't like it, she could kick me out of this house." Spike told her.  
  
"No she won't." Dawn answered as she grabbed Spike's hand and dragged him up off the bed.  
  
The two of them left the house and walked down the street. What they failed to see was a face peering out from behind a curtain on the top floor of the Summers residence. A face with blue eyes and framed by blonde hair.  
  
"This is what you wanted to show me?" Spike asked. They were standing in Restfield cemetery looking at Dawn's headstone. "Coz I gotta tell ya I've seen it."  
  
"Not quite like this." Dawn said as she stood on tiptoes and planted a passionate kiss on Spikes lips.  
  
Spike suddenly saw sparks in front of his eye's, "D-D-Dawn?"  
  
"No, Spike, don't talk." Dawn said round his mouth.  
  
"Dawn . Stop!" Spike exclaimed pushing her away, "W-we can't."  
  
"No we can't can we." Dawn looked very angry, "Because you don't want to, you think I'm still a kid."  
  
"No, I don't, but Buffy does, and if she finds out we're here then she'd stake me in a heart beat." Spike said looking at her, his fear contained something that he didn't display very often . Fear.  
  
"Spike, life's too short to be worried about this." Dawn said taking a step towards him.  
  
"C'mon Lil-bit time to go home." Spike said, even he had to admit that the words sounded strange coming from his lips.  
  
"Ok." Dawn said as she deflated a little, "I-I-I'll be."  
  
Dawn fainted, it was only thanks to Spike's vampire speed that she didn't fall to the ground.  
  
"Lil-bit!" Spike cried as he stroked her hair, "C'mon we have to get you some help."  
  
Spike picked her up in his arms and began to walk back towards the Summers home.  
  
**R minus 2 days **  
  
To be continued. 


	4. An Unholy Truth

Title - Buffy, The Vampire Slayer - Restoration : An Unholy Truth  
  
Author - Shane A. Hopkins (thesorcererbard@I-am-the-key.com)  
  
Rating - R - underage girl kissing  
  
Pairing - Spike and Dawn  
  
Disclaimer - What I don't own. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and everything related to them. What I do own. Everything not owned by the above mentioned people / companies is owned by me but you may use any of it as long as you give me credit.  
  
Authors Note - This story is written along the lines of Lady Myst's 'A New Dawn' story. Dawn sacrificed herself in the episode 'The Gift' rather than let Buffy die.  
  
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Restoration : An Unholy Truth.  
  
**R minus 1 day 23 hours 35 minutes**  
  
Spike kicked open the door to the summers residence.  
  
"Buffy!" he yelled, "BUFFY!" Spike moved towards the living room  
  
Buffy, Willow and Tara all came running down the stairs just in time to see Spike lay Dawn on the couch.  
  
"What Happened?!" Buffy cried as she ran to Dawn's side and pushing Spike out of the way.  
  
"She fainted again." Spike answered, "Like she did at dinner."  
  
"This could be a symptom of something happening to her." Willow said.  
  
"Yea, she was brought back to life, that must have some side effects." Tara added.  
  
"Call Giles, tell him Dawn's fainted and she has a weak pulse and shallow breathing." Buffy said, she was almost panicking.  
  
"Ok." Spike said as he walked over and picked up the phone. He punched in Giles' phone number, "Yea, you better get over here, Dawn's in trouble." He listened for a few seconds before hanging up, "He's on his way, he said to make her comfortable."  
  
Buffy looked slightly relieved. Willow and Tara glanced at each other the fear and worry in both their eye's was visible.  
  
Less than twenty minutes later Giles was examining Dawn, whose condition hadn't improved, Spike had hastened to point out that it hadn't gotten any worse either.  
  
"I don't know, she seems to be suffering from some sort of shock." the Watcher said as he stood up, "It's not normal though."  
  
"Magic induced?" Willow asked.  
  
"Maybe, I have a spell at the shop that has a spell to check for sure." Giles answered.  
  
"I'll go get it." Spike volunteered.  
  
"Ok, Willow can you go with him?" Giles said looking at the red headed witch.  
  
"Yea." Willow didn't really sound too happy.  
  
Spike and Willow headed off and Giles turned to Buffy.  
  
"What was she doing when this happened?" he asked.  
  
"According to Spike she dragged him out to her grave for a . a makeout session." Buffy said the last two words like they left a bad taste in her mouth.  
  
"Ahem, I see." Giles said looking at Dawn with concern in his eye's, "I need to consult the Oracles, when Willow and Spike get back have them perform the spell, they'll need to use Spike as the seeker and Willow as the anchor." As he was saying this Giles was walking towards the door.  
  
"Why Spike as the seeker?" Tara asked.  
  
"Because he is very close to Dawn and because she loves her." Giles said.  
  
"Got it." Buffy said.  
  
"You got it?" Spike asked.  
  
"Yea." Willow answered, she didn't sound happy to be there with Spike.  
  
"Well, lets get our asses into gear, Dawn's in trouble." Spike said.  
  
Willow heard the deep concern in his voice, "You really love her don't you?" she asked.  
  
"Yea, what of it?" he answered.  
  
"Nothing, I just didn't think it was real." the red haired witch said.  
  
"What else would it be now come on let's go." Spike said heading for the door.  
  
Less than half an hour later Willow and Spike burst in through the Summer's door.  
  
"Giles?" Willow called.  
  
"He's gone to consult the Oracles, did you get the stuff you needed?" Buffy said as she got up from the chair she was sitting in.  
  
"Yea, did good ol' Ripper leave any instructions?" Spike asked.  
  
"Yea, Willow is to act as the anchor and you're the seeker." Buffy said.  
  
"Okay." Willow said simply as she moved into the living room to set up her equipment, "Spike please come and stand in this exact spot."  
  
Spike stood where she indicated and looked at her as she began chanting the words from the spell book.  
  
'Nothing's happnin' Spike thought.  
  
From Buffy's point of view Spike was now enveloped in a ball of glowing green energy, and Willow was still chanting.  
  
Suddenly a booming voice echoed through the room, "DO NOT INTERFERE!" and the green energy faded and disappeared with a pop.  
  
Willow began the spell again, but nothing happened.  
  
"Shit, the Powers That Be must be stopping it from working." Willow said frustratedly.  
  
Giles was just walking out of the crypt where the Oracles resided as Spike ran up to him.  
  
"The spell didn't work, Red thinks the Powers interfered, What happened with the Oracles?" Spike asked.  
  
"They did interfere, Dawn wasn't meant to die, Buffy was, so the Powers have set in motion a spell to put everything back to the way it should be." Giles did not look happy.  
  
"Can we override the spell?" Spike asked, he was really worried about Dawn.  
  
"I don't know, but we should get back to Dawn." Giles said heading back towards his car.  
  
**R minus 1 day 12 hours 10 minutes**  
  
"Dawn, you okay?" Buffy asked.  
  
It was late morning and Dawn had just woken.  
  
"No, I feel really bad." the young woman answered.  
  
"You have a fever." Spike said after placing his hand on her forehead.  
  
"That can't be good." Buffy said coming round the island in the kitchen.  
  
"No it's an indication that things are going just as the Powers predicted." Giles said walking in from the living room.  
  
"What did the Powers predict?" Dawn asked.  
  
"You were not meant to die in the battle with Glory, Buffy was. So the powers are making thing's right, they've cast a spell that is rewriting things." the Watcher answered.  
  
"Can we stop it?" Dawn asked, she sounded extremely calm for someone who just found out her sister was going to die.  
  
"Willow, Tara and myself are going to spend today researching ways to stop the spell." Giles answered, "Speaking of which I should head off to the shop."  
  
"Okay, just try to find something soon." Buffy called to his retreating form.  
  
**R minus 1 day 6 hours 21 minutes**  
  
"Giles have you found anything?" Buffy's voice came from the speaker on the phone.  
  
"No, I was calling to check up on Dawn, how is she?" Giles asked.  
  
"She doesn't seem worried, but I think that Spike is having that influence on her." she answered.  
  
"Well if the time line isn't altered, I'm going to be very cross with him." Giles said with a little bit of anger in his voice.  
  
**R minus 1 day **  
  
"Anything?" Buffy asked as she walked into The Magic Box.  
  
"No, nothing." Willow said looking very tired and very worried.  
  
"So, what now?" Buffy asked looking at her watcher.  
  
"I don't know." Giles said looking equally worried.  
  
To be continued. 


	5. An Unholy Ending

Title - Buffy, The Vampire Slayer - Restoration : An Unholy Ending  
  
Author - Shane A. Hopkins (thesorcererbard@I-am-the-key.com)  
  
Rating - R  
  
Pairing - Spike and Dawn  
  
Disclaimer - What I don't own. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and everything related to them. What I do own. Everything not owned by the above mentioned people / companies is owned by me but you may use any of it as long as you give me credit.  
  
Authors Note - This story is written along the lines of Lady Myst's 'A New Dawn' story. Dawn sacrificed herself in the episode 'The Gift' rather than let Buffy die.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
Restoration : An Unholy Ending.  
  
**R minus 1 day**  
  
"Dawn!" cried Spike as he walked out of the kitchen, carefully avoiding any direct sunlight.  
  
"Yea?" she called back.  
  
"You want a coffee?" spike said as he stopped in the doorway, the living room curtains were all pulled to keep the light out.  
  
"Yea, why not." the brunette said as she turned her head to look at the vampire with her spectrum blue eyes, here eye's dropped down to his arse as he turned around and headed back to the kitchen, "What a cute arse" she said to herself.  
  
"I heard that Lil-bit." called Spike, "Vampires have very good hearing."  
  
Dawn had the decency to blush before turning her mind back to what was happening, "Spike?"  
  
"Yea?" he said as he walked back into the living room with a mug in each hand.  
  
"What do you think the world will be like if Buffy had died instead of me?" Dawn asked as she took the mug of coffee from him and he sat down beside her.  
  
"I really don't know, Lil-bit, it may be worse than this but it may very well be better." Spike answered.  
  
"But, how could Buffy die, I mean she must have made a choice to give up her life to save mine." Dawn said.  
  
"Lil-bit, you have been thinking about this way too much." Spike said as he pulled Dawn's head down to lean on his shoulder.  
  
Dawn smiled.  
  
Meanwhile in a place that was neither here nor there a discussion was going on.  
  
"THEY DO NOT REALISE."  
  
"NO, BUT THEY WILL SOON ENOUGH."  
  
"WE SHOULD HAVE LET THEM KNOW."  
  
"THE KEY MUST BE KEPT SAFE."  
  
"THE KEY IS THE LINK, THE LINK MUST BE RESTORED."  
  
**R minus 12 hours**  
  
"Hey guys, found anything?" Buffy asked as she walked into the magic shop.  
  
"We've had a big helping of nothing chased down with a portion of sod all." Xander said looking up from the book he was flipping through.  
  
"Yes, I must admit we have had very little luck." Giles said coming round the counter.  
  
"Little luck? We've had no luck at all." Willow said disappointedly.  
  
"How's Dawnie?" Xander asked.  
  
"She's handling this all very well, she's not worried at all." Buffy answered walking over to the table and sitting down.  
  
"Spike follow me." Dawn said to her vampire companion.  
  
"But, it's daytime, Lil-bit." Spike said.  
  
"We do have a sewer access here." she pointed out.  
  
"Okay, where are we going?" he asked.  
  
"The cemetery, your crypt to be precise." Dawn told him.  
  
"Why?" Spike asked worriedly.  
  
"I have a surprise for you." Dawn answered.  
  
Minutes later Spike and Dawn emerged from the sewer entrance to his crypt.  
  
"Lil-bit, this is a long way to come for a surprise." Spike grumbled.  
  
"Spike, kiss me and everything will become clear." Dawn said pulling on his collar.  
  
Spike leaned in an planted a very passionate kiss on her lips. As his tongue probed her mouth he felt a current of power flow up through him into his brain, he felt a sharp shock almost like someone had kicked him in his behaviour modification chip.  
  
Spike broke the embrace, "W-what did you do?" he asked clasping his hand's to his head.  
  
"I gave you what you always wanted, the power to love with all your soul." Dawn answered as he sank to the ground.  
  
"Y-you gave me a soul?" Spike sounded shocked.  
  
"No, that would kill you, I have only given you the power of love." Dawn said as she crouched down in front of him.  
  
"H-how?" Spike asked.  
  
"Through your chip, it is more than just a chip, it has the ability to generate human feelings." Dawn said taking Spike's head and hugging it to her chest.  
  
**R minus 2 hours**  
  
"Dawn?!" Buffy called as she walked into her house, "Dawn, where are you?"  
  
"She's not here." said Tara as she walked from the kitchen, "Both her and Spike are gone."  
  
"Were?" Buffy asked the blonde witch.  
  
"I don't know." Tara answered a little worriedly, since Buffy and Dawn's mother had died Tara had taken on a sort of mother role for Dawn.  
  
"Spike, this is my gift to you, no matter what the Powers do it will remain with you, forever." Dawn told the vampire.  
  
"Dawn, I-I don't want to feel this way, not if anything happens to you." Spike cried, he lifted his head and Dawn could see the tears running down his face.  
  
"IT IS TIME."  
  
"THE KEY IS THE LINK, THE LINK MUST BE RESTORED."  
  
"Ah!" Dawn cried as she doubled over in pain.  
  
"Lil-bit, what is it?" Spike still had tears running down his cheeks but is worry for Dawn overrode his pain.  
  
"G-get Buf." Dawn managed before lapsing into unconsciousness.  
  
Spike tried t lift her but found that she was somehow too heavy, "I'll go get her Lil- bit, don't you worry." he said before running down into the sewer and heading back to the Summers house as fast as he could go.  
  
"Spike! Where's Dawn?" Buffy rounded on the vampire as he emerged from the basement.  
  
"Out cold in my crypt, she was in pain before she passed out, we have to get there now!" Spike said, he was out of breath, which was very unusual since vampires don't breath.  
  
"Okay come on!" Buffy said leading the way.  
  
"Oh dear." Giles said as he examined Dawn.  
  
"What?" Buffy and Spike asked in unison.  
  
"The wounds Glory inflicted on her are reopening as well as new ones here on her wrists." Giles told them.  
  
"Is there anything we can do?" Spike asked.  
  
"I honestly don't know." the watcher answered.  
  
"IT IS THE RESTORATION!" came Dawn's voice, it was much deeper and had a reverberation that it couldn't have possibly had. Then Dawn screamed as pure white light flowed from the cut's that had appeared in her wrist's. The light was so bright that Buffy and all those gathered had to turn their head's away.  
  
"Giles, what's going on?!" Buffy yelled at him  
  
"It must be the Powers spell!" he yelled back.  
  
**R minus 0**  
  
To be continued. 


	6. A Holy Beginning

Title - Buffy, The Vampire Slayer - Restoration : A Holy Beginning  
  
Author - Shane A. Hopkins (thesorcererbard@I-am-the-key.com)  
  
Rating - R  
  
Pairing - Spike and Dawn  
  
Disclaimer - What I don't own. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and everything related to them. What I do own. Everything not owned by the above mentioned people / companies is owned by me but you may use any of it as long as you give me credit.  
  
Authors Note - This story is written along the lines of Lady Myst's 'A New Dawn' story. Dawn sacrificed herself in the episode 'The Gift' rather than let Buffy die.  
  
Authors Note 2 - This first section is a slightly rewritten version of a transcript of "The Gift" written by Joss Whedon and transcribed by Joan the English Chick (pisces@englishchick.com)  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
Restoration : A Holy Beginning.  
  
Then Dawn screamed as pure white light flowed from the cut's that had appeared in her wrist's. The light was so bright that Buffy and all those gathered had to turn their head's away.  
  
"Giles, what's going on?!" Buffy yelled at him  
  
"It must be the Powers spell!" he yelled back.  
  
**R minus 0**  
  
Meanwhile in the place that was neither here nor there a discussion was going on.  
  
"THE RESTORATION HAS TAKEN PLACE."  
  
"THE KEY IS THE LINK, THE LINK HAS BEEN RESTORED."  
  
"WE ARE IN COMPLETE COMMUNICATION WITH IT ONCE MORE."  
  
The three voices said in unison,  
  
"WE ARE THE POWERS THAT BE, WE ARE THE SOURCE, WE ARE THE START AND WE ARE THE END, THE LINK IS WHOLE ONCE MORE"  
  
"Buffy, you have to let me go. Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop." Dawn cried to her sister.  
  
Buffy stares at Dawn in anguish.  
  
"You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood." Dawn said tearfully  
  
Buffy gets a realization look on her face and she flashes back to what Spike had said earlier "Cause it's always got to be blood." then she flashes to the hospital after Dawn found out she was the Key "It's Summers blood. It's just like mine." Buffy had told her. Then Buffy remembered the first slayer "Death is your gift."  
  
Buffy thought she heard the first slayers voice again "Death is your gift."  
  
Buffy frowned and turned around slowly.  
  
In the distance, holes seemed to be opening in the sky. The sky is growing lighter as the sun tries to rise.  
  
Buffy looked peaceful as she turned back to Dawn, who stared wide-eyed.  
  
"Buffy ... no!" Dawn cried. "Dawnie, I have to." Buffy calmly told her. "No!" Dawn cried again "Listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time, listen," Buffy held Dawn by the upper arms and said, "Dawn, listen to me. Listen, I love you. I will *always* love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles ... tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong."  
  
Dawn begins to cry. Lightning continues to crackle behind them.  
  
"Dawn, the hardest thing in this world ... is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me." Buffy said as she stroked the side of Dawn's face, before kissing her on the cheek. Dawn continued to cry.  
  
Buffy turned. In slow-motion, she ran down the platform as Dawn stayed there crying.  
  
Buffy swan-dived off the end of the platform and into the portal.  
  
Dawn watched, sobbing.  
  
Buffy fell into the portal and hung there motionless, making expressions of pain. The portal writhed and spat. The portal shrunk to nothingness and disappeared and the sun began to rise.  
  
Willow and Tara were holding each other up and walking forward. Behind them Giles was coming forward too, and Xander holding Anya in his arms. They all walk forward looking at Buffy's lifeless body lying amid the debris. In the background Spike tries to come forward, but falls to the ground as the sunlight hits him.  
  
Willow begins to cry. Xander and Anya look sadly at Buffy. Anya lowered her head to Xander's shoulder.  
  
Giles begins to cry.  
  
Spike covers his sobbing face with his hands.  
  
Dawn comes slowly down the stairs, holding her sides and after seeing the rest of the gang she begins to cry again.  
  
We are in a graveyard, It's a sunny and pretty day with lots of trees and grass. we see a headstone. A small bunch of flowers lies on the grass in front of it.  
  
The headstone reads: BUFFY ANNE SUMMERS 1981-2001 BELOVED SISTER DEVOTED FRIEND SHE SAVED THE WORLD A LOT  
  
Standing around the grave were three figures that were out of the visual range of all living and undead beings.  
  
"THE TIMELINE HAS BEEN RESTORED."  
  
"I FEEL GUILTY, THE KEY GAVE HER LIFE TO SAVE THE WORLD, AND WE TREATED HER AS A MISTAKE IN THE COURSE OF TIME."  
  
"WE COULD STABALISE THE ALTERNATE TIMELINE SO IT EXISTS INDEPENDANTLY OF THIS ONE."  
  
"YES, WE SHOULD, IT WOULD MEAN THAT THE KEY AND HER RELATIVES AND FRIENDS CAN LIVE OUT THEIR LIVES."  
  
"LET US PROCEED THEN."  
  
With that the figures joined their hands and said, "A WORLD IN PERIL A WORLD OF A MISTAKE, STABALISE AND BECOME WHOLE."  
  
From the beings perspective, things shimmered and there were suddenly two copies of everything existing in the same time and place. The gravestone in front of them read in one reality.  
  
BUFFY ANNE SUMMERS 1981-2001 BELOVED SISTER DEVOTED FRIEND SHE SAVED THE WORLD A LOT  
  
and in the other.  
  
DAWN SUMMERS 1987-2001 BELOVED SISTER SHE GAVE HER LIFE FOR THE WORLD.  
  
"WE HAVE DONE GOOD THIS DAY."  
  
"Giles? What happened?" Buffy asked as she picked herself up off the floor in Spike's crypt.  
  
"The Powers spell must have backfired." Giles said getting up.  
  
"Dawn!" Spike cried as he ran to her side.  
  
"Oh, what happened?" Dawn said sitting up.  
  
"What do you remember?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Not much I remember throwing myself off the scaffolding into the portal, I  
  
remember the Powers bringing me back and then it . it's all blank." Dawn said as Spike helped her sit up.  
  
"Could the Powers be giving us a second chance?" Willow asked.  
  
"I suppose it could happen, maybe the spell wasn't actually from the Powers." Giles said, "In the morning I will ask the Oracles, they should tell us."  
  
"THEY DO NOT NEED TO." came a voice from the darkness.  
  
"Who's there?" Buffy fell into an attack stance.  
  
"WE DO NOT HAVE INDIVIDUAL NAMES, I AM PART OF THE POWERS THAT BE." a figure stepped out of the shadows. It was dressed in a glowing gold suit of armour.  
  
"Can you tell us what happened?" Giles asked a little amazedly.  
  
"YES, I CAN." the figure began.  
  
"A little quieter please?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I am sorry. What happened was that the spell did in fact work but we decided that you," he indicated Dawn, "Deserved to live so an alternate timeline was established and this is it. I was sent to keep an eye on you, I am to be the Guardian of the Key, I will watch you but you will not know it and if you ever need my help just ask." with that he faded from view.  
  
"Um, wow." said Willow.  
  
"The powers created a whole alternate timeline so we could live with our memories and feeling?" Buffy asked, "Now I'm betting that doesn't happen everyday."  
  
"Buffy, Spike can we go home now?" Dawn asked.  
  
"Yea, Lil-bit let's go home." Spike said helping her to her feet.  
  
The gang headed off to their respective homes, Buffy, Spike, Dawn, Tara and Willow headed to the Summers residence, Xander and Anya headed off to Xander's apartment, and Giles headed to his home.  
  
The figure watched them leave.  
  
"THEY WILL BE ALRIGHT, I WILL LOOK AFTER THEM."  
  
"YES, THEY WILL NEED IT, THERE ARE MANY TRIALS THAT WILL COME THEIR WAY IN THE FUTURE."  
  
**THE END**  
  
NEXT MONTH IN BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER FANFICTION BY SHANE HOPKINS.  
  
Stay tuned for - the "Guardian" series: Part 1: The Power of Persuasion.  
  
Same Buffy Time. Same Buffy Channel. 


End file.
